The Golden State Warriors are infamous for blowing a 3-1 lead during the 2016 NBA Finals.
This was the first time in NBA history that a team had given up a series lead of this magnitude.
During this series, there were many heroic performances, including a dominant game seven from Kyrie Irving.
In a recent conversation with Showtime Basketball, Iman Shumpert detailed why Irving had such a great performance.
“We realized that Steph [Curry] wasn’t trying to match up with Kyrie,” Shumpert said.
Shump breaks down the build up to Kyrie’s infamous game-winner in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals.
Full episode with @imanshumpert drops tomorrow. #AlltheSmoke 💨 pic.twitter.com/987bzFt6yF
— SHOWTIME Basketball (@shobasketball) August 2, 2023
While Curry has been a worthy defensive adversary throughout his career, in Shumpert’s eyes, he didn’t want to guard Irving.
When the Cleveland Cavaliers found this out, as Shumpert remembers, “We just fed him,” targeting a weak spot in the defense.
Irving finished the game with 26 points and seven rebounds, his most dominant performance throughout the finals.
While LeBron James might have won the Finals MVP award, many chalk up the Cavaliers’ Game 7 victory to Irving.
This was the third-most viewed NBA Finals game in history, and it certainly did not disappoint.
There were chase-down blocks, deep three-pointers, and great matchups up and down the floor.
Despite the Warriors’ finals loss in 2016, they ultimately had the last laugh over the Cavaliers.
These two teams met in the finals in four straight seasons, with the Warriors winning three of the four series.
The Warriors also made it to the finals the next season, losing in six games to the Toronto Raptors.
Can they win another title during the final years of Curry’s career?
NEXT: Steve Kerr Gets Honest On Chris Paul Joining The Warriors